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QNA
Doha
THE Ministry of Public Health has announced that it is in continuous contact with international regulatory bodies to follow up on developments regarding the safety of pharmaceuticals containing metformin known as ‘glucophage’, which is used in the treatment of diabetes.
The ministry seeks to verify that it does not contain NDMA which may be carcinogenic when present in the pharmaceuticals at high levels.
The ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that it has collected samples of all medicines containing ‘metformin’ from public and private sector medicine shops to carry out its analysis in its drug control laboratories.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) have reported that all products traded in the US and European countries do not contain the impurity substance (NDMA), knowing that this substance is present in nature as food and drinking water, but in a lower proportion which makes it safe.
In this context, the Ministry of Public Health indicated in its statement that the majority of the preparations containing metformin in Qatar come from European countries or the US.
The ministry recommended that patients who use these medicines should continue to use them as the risk of stopping the use of diabetes treatment greatly exceeds the potential effects of low levels of impurity (NDMA) and keep monitoring their health with health care providers.
Doha
THE Ministry of Public Health has announced that it is in continuous contact with international regulatory bodies to follow up on developments regarding the safety of pharmaceuticals containing metformin known as ‘glucophage’, which is used in the treatment of diabetes.
The ministry seeks to verify that it does not contain NDMA which may be carcinogenic when present in the pharmaceuticals at high levels.
The ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that it has collected samples of all medicines containing ‘metformin’ from public and private sector medicine shops to carry out its analysis in its drug control laboratories.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) have reported that all products traded in the US and European countries do not contain the impurity substance (NDMA), knowing that this substance is present in nature as food and drinking water, but in a lower proportion which makes it safe.
In this context, the Ministry of Public Health indicated in its statement that the majority of the preparations containing metformin in Qatar come from European countries or the US.
The ministry recommended that patients who use these medicines should continue to use them as the risk of stopping the use of diabetes treatment greatly exceeds the potential effects of low levels of impurity (NDMA) and keep monitoring their health with health care providers.
